Wireless underwater communication using an acoustic channel as the physical layer for communication is desirable for many types of scientific and commercial endeavors in the ocean. However, the underwater acoustic (“UWA”) channel presents many unique challenges for the design of underwater communication systems. Some of these challenges include time-varying multipath signals due to reflections off the moving surface waves and rough ocean bottom, which can cause echoes and signal interference. Further, relative motion of a transmitter, communication medium, and a receiver induces Doppler spread of the signal. In addition, noise is introduced by wind, shipping traffic, and various forms of ocean life, which can mask a portion of the signal and block the corresponding carried data. These challenges can cause the UWA signal to fluctuate randomly and as a result make the selection of modulation and error correction techniques very challenging.